US: Pre-election voting surpasses 2016 early ballots

The numbers for the pre-election voting in the presidential election in the US have surpassed those of the 2016 election with little over a week left until November 3.

According to CNN, more than 58.7 million American people have voted so far--as per a survey of election officials in all 50 states and Washington DC.

Around 58.3 million pre-election ballots were cast including ballots in the three vote-by-mail states in the 2016 election and 42 per cent of the ballots were an early vote in the 2016 election.

The pre-election voting is "skyrocketing" across the United States due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic also states are reporting record-breaking turnout as voters are "energised" to vote by mail or early in person.

CNN further reported that 54 per cent of the 58.7 million votes already cast this cycle comes from the 16 most competitively ranked states that would determine the presidency. Among those states, Minnesota has seen "the largest percentage increase in early voting turnout as compared to the last cycle, according to Catalyst data from both years 14 key states.

Younger voters aged from 18 to 29 are also casting significantly more ballots and make up a greater share of the pre-Election Day vote than they did four years ago in all of the key states four years ago. Across 14 of the states, voters below the age of 30 "have seen upticks" in their share of early votes as compared to 2016.

"Voters age 30 and above still comprise the vast majority of these early voters, but their share has dipped slightly from this time four years ago. The oldest voters -- those 65 or older -- have seen the greatest decline in their share of the early vote," CNN reported.

Overall the top three states saw "the largest increases" in early voting turnout so far all expanded access to mail or early voting this year.

CNN reported that New Jersey -- which has seen the largest increase with more than nine times as many ballots cast this year as compared to four years ago -- mailed ballots to eligible voters in the state in 2020.

Whereas, Delaware has seen more than seven times as many ballots cast as at the same time four years ago and Virginia which has also seen an increase of six times as many ballots casts are allowing voters vote by mail.

The US Presidential Election is scheduled to be held on November 3.

(ANI)

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